Guardian's Song
by drakangrl9
Summary: Last part of my Shapeshifters Trilogy. Rayanne and her people have been living in hiding for seven years. But when people who Rayanne thought were out of her life reappear, she finds herself between friends she doesn't know if she trusts and a man no one seems to understand. And a dark enemy is making her face the one thing she's never been able to: the ghosts of her dark past.
1. Prologue: The Mirror's Gaze

Prologue:

**The Mirror's Gaze**

The white unicorn gazed down into the pool at her feet. The image on the surface was not of the sky pink with sunrise or of the creature looking into its depths, but of a man, his brown hair in disarray, his eyes closed. He was asleep, but it was apparent to Shannon that his slumber wasn't a very restful one. His brow was slightly furrowed, and for what was probably the third time in as many minutes he rolled over in his massive bed, apparently unable to find a comfortable position. The Immortal smiled briefly when her mind brushed against his, his thoughts reaching her even though they were worlds apart.

Bad dreams and nightmares had become something of a normal occurrence for ex-soul reaper captain Sosuke Aizen. And for once she wasn't responsible for one of her "interest's" nightmares. Not directly, anyway.

"It's always the same with creatures like you," Shannon said softly, watching as the man rolled onto his back, breathing harsh. "You realize what you had too late."

She lowered her horn into the water, calling up another image as the first dissipated in the ripples she'd created. Soon the unicorn found herself gazing at a girl… no, a more apt description was a young woman. Her hair was long and black, reaching almost to her waist. She wore a pale blue nightgown and was wrapped in soft blankets depicting a herd of horses galloping through a mountain stream.

Rayanne Amenaki. Queen of the shapeshifters of the Soul Society, Shannon's apprentice and, more recently, adopted daughter.

Her sleep was obviously more fitful than the man Shannon had been observing moments before. Her face was peaceful and she was relaxed, breathing even and smooth. The Immortal watched the girl for a few moments, musing over the girl's history. Rayanne was strong, clever and willful. Stubborn, yes, Shannon thought with a smile, but after years under the Immortal's tutelage she'd learned how to bend to keep from breaking. That would be useful in the times to come.

"I know you have hoped that, given recent events, things were finally settling down," Shannon said, knowing the girl's subconscious was the only thing that would register her words. "But peace never lasts, Rayanne. You are standing on a precipice. A difficult time lies ahead, and I am concerned about the challenges it will hold for you and your people."

In the image in the pool, the girl's brow furrowed, her mentor's warning slipping into her mind like a barely notable chill breeze on a spring day.

And somewhere in a fairly remote corner of the universe, red eyes glowed like embers as their owner sensed the shift in the girl's life energies.

"Well, little Immortal apprentice," a dark voice said, amused. "Let us find out just what your mentor sees in you."


	2. Morning

Chapter 1:

**Morning**

Rayanne woke with a strangely heavy feeling in her chest. She didn't know why it was there. Yesterday hadn't exactly been perfect, but it hadn't been an immense downer either. Work was leaving her a bit swamped lately, but it was nothing she couldn't handle.

_What the heck could I possibly dread today?_ Rayanne thought as she stepped out of bed, enjoying the feeling of the cream-colored carpet against her bare feet.

It had been seven years. Seven years since she'd faked her death. Seven years since the shapeshifters had fled the Soul Society. After seven years of somewhat self-imposed exile, she rarely thought about her life there. She rarely thought about the old village, Hueco Mundo, her birth family and Aizen. And, surprisingly, she was thinking less and less about her old soul reaper friends as well. She knew they all thought she was dead, and that was for the best. She and her people were happy where they were. After living in the world of Adelaide for two years, moving back to Earth, to the United States, was something of a difficult transition, but they had made it. Strangely enough, Rayanne found she didn't mind living in Denver all that much. It was less crowded than Japan and Colorado had the perfect climate and geographic layout for her animal counterparts. All four seasons were radically different from one another and she lived close to the mountains, so her wolf and dragon could slip out on occasion. Rayanne had found a job at the Colorado History Museum as a historian (her supervisor had told her that she was the best expert he had on ancient herbal medicines). Having found a decent house less than an hour's bus ride from the museum, Rayanne figured she was good to go if she and her people had to stay here for an extended period of time. She was surprised at the amount of influence Shannon and the Guardians had with the local realtors. All of the shapeshifters lived within an eighty mile radius of her house, either in Denver or one of the nearby suburbs. Shannon herself actually had a temporary home less than twenty miles from Rayanne's current residence. Aya and Captain Alden both lived within three blocks of their queen. Ayamoshi, Rayanne's brother, lived right next door to her. Most of the Royal Guard members had taken up residences in the surrounding neighborhoods, which Rayanne believed had not been a coincidence despite their protests. Her suspicions were confirmed when she'd asked Shannon about it, and the grinning unicorn had told her that the Guard had specifically requested that she try to find houses for them near Rayanne's.

"Dear God!" Rayanne had exclaimed. "There's no rebellion to worry about anymore and I know how to fight!"

"On the plus side if a burglar breaks in, you won't have to worry about a thing," Shannon answered.

"If a burglar did break in, I'd let Wolf eat them. I doubt anyone would expect a wolf in downtown Denver," Rayanne had responded.

"I wouldn't eat them. Humans are high in cholesterol," Shannon had said. "Most of them, anyway. And the clothes. Ugh!"

Rayanne had looked at her oddly. Shannon had grinned. "I have been in "beast" forms before, kid. One time I was disguised as a Fenrir wolf and I ate this fairly idiotic English lord who wanted me killed. It was absolutely disgusting. I don't think he'd bathed since he'd been born."

Rayanne had, of course, not been serious about letting her wolf attack people (and she didn't eat people, anyway). Thankfully the years had passed without incident, the most exciting occurrence having been her forgetting change to pay for her bus ticket.

Another thing Rayanne liked about her new home was the fact that it was near the Denver Public Library. Back when she'd lived in the palace, she had enjoyed spending her afternoons in the gigantic library there, wiling away the idle hours reading fantasy stories and books of herbal lore, history and ancient mythology. Many days after work Rayanne found herself walking to the library and spending several hours poring over the books there. She looked at fantasy novels, history books and books of tribal lore and Earth cultures. At this point the librarians knew her well and liked her. She was never disruptive, was always polite and funny and seemed genuinely interested in the things she read about. Rayanne encountered tense moments, however, when the librarians questioned her about her past. She'd created a whole fake identity for herself (with Shannon's help).

Her name was Kristine Janssen. She was twenty-two years old. She'd lived in Montana for the first seventeen years of her life. Her mother had died giving birth to her and her father had been killed when he suffered a stroke when "Kristine" was five. She had been placed in foster care and adopted by a couple who could not have their own child. They'd moved to Durango, Colorado soon after Rayanne had turned seventeen, and Rayanne was taking classes at the University of Denver and was working to be able to help pay her way through another year at the school and to be able to pay the mortgage on her home.

Rayanne had not actually attended the University of Denver, of course. However Shannon had been able to provide her with a fake student ID , driver's license, bank account, birth certificate, social security number and credit card. Rayanne was still uncomfortable driving, though, and tended to take public transit wherever she went. One perk of living downtown, she supposed.

Rayanne jumped and cursed under her breath. During her musings she'd walked a bit too close to her bedroom door and her foot and the frame had discovered that neither could stand to be in each other's immediate proximity. Rubbing the sore spot, Rayanne shook her hair out of her eyes.

_I hate Mondays,_ she thought.

xxXXxx

Meanwhile, in Las Noches, Sosuke Aizen was slightly less inclined to get up as quickly. As overlord of Hueco Mundo, he set his own hours. This morning found him lying in bed, gazing up at the blankness of the ceiling. This was slightly unusual. Most mornings he would be up as soon as his eyes opened, his routine morning activities helping him forget the previous night's disturbances. Today, however, he found himself unable to move.

_What? I didn't break it. I picked it._

_Respect personal space much?_

_Am I that bad?_

_What, you weren't paying attention?_

Aizen barely kept himself from rolling over and covering his head with a pillow in an attempt to block out that voice. Memories of Rayanne often found a place in his nightmares, which only added to his conflicted feelings about the girl herself.

_Why should it matter? She's gone,_ his voice of reason whispered.

The cold logic that had always dominated Aizen's nature in the past had ceased to completely apply wherever Rayanne was involved. Yes, she was dead and thus should no longer factor into any domineering thoughts, but somehow Aizen found that many of his lines of thought continually bounced back to her.

He was torn out of his puzzling when he heard the door open.

"Good mornin', Cap'n!" Gin called in a singsong voice as he entered the living room. He was puzzled when he didn't see the man in there. He was usually up and about by now. Ever-present grin fading ever so slightly, he sauntered into the bedroom and was surprised to see Aizen awake and lying in bed.

"Good heavens, Captain! Wha' in the three worlds are ya still doin' in bed? Didn' think you were the lazy type," Gin teased. "Don'tcha know ya called that meeting this mornin'? Grimmy an' Nnoitora'll be biting each other's heads off if no one's keepin' 'em in line."

"Tosen is perfectly capable of handling them for a few minutes," Aizen responded.

"Eh, don' know 'bout that one. He'd probably just kill Grimmjow an' be done with it," Gin said, grin broadening at the thought of an impatient Tosen trying to rein in the two quarrelsome Espada.

Aizen smiled as well. "Good point," he conceded, rolling onto his side and lying there for a few moments before pushing himself into a sitting position.

"Ya were thinking about her again, weren't ya?" His student's quiet question froze Aizen in his tracks. After a moment he exhaled softly and relaxed.

"Yes," he responded, casual tone belying the stirring the question had brought to his gut. "I will see you in the meeting room, Gin."

Knowing when he was being dismissed, Gin gave a quick mocking bow before leaving Aizen's quarters. Once the door shut behind him, his grin all but vanished as he proceeded toward the meeting room. This wasn't the first time he'd seen Aizen silent and brooding. But he knew that this had only happened in the past seven years.

_Never woulda thought he'd be this upset. Over a girl, no less,_ Gin thought. His smile gained a sad edge. During the times Rayanne had been in Las Noches, a noticeable change had settled over Aizen. He'd be a bit more lenient with the arrancar and a bit more even tempered. Gin believed those were some of the only times Aizen had truly smiled in recent years.

_Ya really did him some good, even if it was just for a little while. He really misses ya. Funny thing is, I do, too, _Gin thought.

_May you rest in peace, Rayanne._


	3. Monday Meetings

**Chapter 2:**

**Monday Meetings**

Rayanne sighed softly as she sat at her desk in her small office at the Colorado History Museum. It was actually a fairly decent size. Her chair and desk were near the east wall. Against the southern wall was a bookshelf, filled almost to capacity with books on Native American culture; most of them were about herbal lore and remedies. The wall opposite the bookcase and the one behind Rayanne were festooned with paintings and posters depicting landscapes of mountains, the American southwest and scenes from the days of the Western frontier. Her desk was neat, like the rest of the room. On it sat a computer screen and keyboard. Next to her workstation sat a pile of research papers on the spiritual beliefs of the Cheyenne tribe.

Rayanne leaned back in her chair, stretching as she did so. She glanced up as someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," she called. The door opened and admitted a man wearing a blue suit, red and blue striped tie and a white work shirt. He had hair so light brown it could almost be considered blonde and bright green eyes. He carried a manila folder tucked under his left arm.

"Good morning, Kristine," the man smiled, stepping in and shutting the door behind him.

Rayanne grinned. "Hi, Allen," she said, sitting up straight again. "What brings you down here?"

"Aside from escaping my secretary?" Allen smiled. "I have a new assignment for you."

If Rayanne had been in wolf form, her ears would have perked right up. "Oh?"

"We have a committee of journalists and scientists coming here in a couple of weeks," her supervisor said. "They're investigating correlations between old herbal cures and modern medicines. You being my expert on ancient medicines, I figured you would be the best choice to organize a presentation for them."

Rayanne's eyebrows climbed her forehead. "In two weeks, huh? Are they looking for anything specific? Or anything from a specific region, maybe?"

"These papers contain some rough details of what they're looking for," Allen said, laying the manila folder down on Rayanne's desk. Rayanne picked it up and scanned the first few documents. Her eyebrows climbed even higher.

"Rough details? How about no details?" she said.

"A bit open-ended, aren't they?" Allen asked, grinning.

"How about almost-completely-but-not-quite-there open ended?" Rayanne retorted. "These papers give me no specifics, just different tribes they want to know about."

"I don't think they're very knowledgeable about the topic."

"I hope they don't expect me to do the modern medicine parallels."

"Actually, I think they do," Allen said.

"And you're giving me this NOW?" Rayanne asked incredulously.

Allen held his hands up in mock defense. "Hey, don't blame me. They just gave me this today."

Rayanne groaned and did a face plant on her keyboard. "There are nine tribes on here! With no details on what they're looking for, I'm going to find at least ten pages' worth of information on each tribe! And I'm supposed to put together a freaking presentation to top it off?"

"That about sums it up," Allen said, upbeat tone indicating that he was trying to cheer her up.

_Great, I'm gonna be stuck working overtime every night for the next two weeks,_ Rayanne thought. She'd have to cut down on her flying time. She also wouldn't be able to go to the mountains Friday evening like she'd planned. Wolf was going to be upset. Damn it, she also wouldn't be able to go to the library for a while.

_Sometimes I really hate pretending to be human,_ Rayanne thought darkly.

xxXXxx

Aizen walked briskly through the halls of Las Noches, not bothering to acknowledge the bows and murmured greetings the lesser arrancars he passed directed at him. His gaze was fixed steadily ahead, face not betraying any of his thoughts. He inclined his head in greeting when he rounded a corner and met Gin and Tosen before the door of the meeting room.

"Ready, Cap'n?" Gin asked, trademark grin in place.

Aizen just smiled before pushing open the massive set of double doors, revealing the sight of the ten espada seated around a large table.

"Good morning, Espadas," Aizen greeted as he made his way to his place at the head of the table. "I'm certain that by now you all have some idea of why you were called here," he said as he sat down in his high-backed chair.

The ten arrancar exchanged glances. Finally Harribel spoke up. "Is this about the book, Lord Aizen?"

"Correct," Aizen said. A few of the espada exchanged puzzled looks, while others appeared to come to an understanding of the situation.

"What exactly _is_ this book?" Grimmjow asked, tactful as ever.

"It was written several hundred years ago by a spiritually aware human in the world of the living. He possessed an intricate knowledge of reishi and the connections between the three worlds and their inhabitants. I have reason to believe that a few passages of this book contain knowledge that will give us several advantages over the Soul Society," Aizen explained.

"_Himitsu no Kurai_?" Szayel said. "My lord, I thought that book was nothing but a collection of myths and legends."

Aizen smiled. "Yes, there are a number of ancient stories in there as well. There is even a passage of suppositions about the Immortals and their powers."

"The Immortals? Who the hell are they?" Yammy asked.

"Two creatures of immense power, a white unicorn and a dark warrior, thought by some to be more powerful than gods," Ulquiorra said.

"A _unicorn_?" Yammy laughed. "One of those lily-livered healer creatures?"

"According to several legends, Shannon is anything but," Aizen said, apparently amused by Yammy's lack of knowledge on the subject. "She was a warrior and leader of a large army, a wonderful tactician and, at times, quite ruthless on the battlefield."

"Heard in one story that she tricked Ladin into believin' she was one o' his creatures. Ripped his head clean off," Gin commented.

"She's supposed to have been a master assassin," Zommari put in.

"Isn't there also a story where Shannon and the Guardians were once allies of the shapeshifters'?" Nnoitora asked.

Gin's gaze immediately flicked to Aizen and he was surprised when he noticed Harribel glancing at the man as well. Aizen appeared unruffled by the mention of Rayanne's people.

"What's an old storybook got to do with this?" Yammy asked.

"Were you not paying attention earlier, Yammy?" Ulquiorra said, sounding ever-so-slightly annoyed.

"No, I heard that bit. I'm just wondering why we're talking about it."

"Gin and I will be going to the World of the Living to retrieve it," Aizen said. All the espada stared at him in shock. He wasn't just sending one of them?

"The book cannot be found in Japan," Aizen said. "Gin and I are both familiar with human cultures and will thus be able to blend in while we search."

"Where will you be going, sir?" Tosen asked.

Aizen's smile widened. "The United States."

… **Uh, oh.**

**Sorry, yes, I did not really update anything, just corrected a few grammatical errors I spotted. Just want to give you a couple notes. First and foremost, 1st semester finals are coming up so I probably won't be able to update in the next week or so. Second, I'm having plot issues for the next couple chapters. I revised my outline and decided it needs some rehashing. If you have any ideas PLEASE let me know! The help would be greatly appreciated.  
**


	4. New World, New Places

**Chapter 3:**

**New World, New Places**

Rayanne, for what was probably the fifteenth time in the past hour, let her head fall onto her desk with a rather loud thud. The past two days had been a nightmare of research and note taking. She knew she'd be lucky if she got more than five hours of sleep at any point in time over the course of the next week. Gods, she hadn't even started planning how she was going to orient her presentation.

"You know, if you keep doing that you'll probably give yourself a concussion," came a teasing voice from the doorway. Rayanne looked up and found herself meeting the warm green gaze of her coworker Susanna Richter. She was dressed casually, wearing a light green silk scarf and brown T-shirt with a diamond pattern sewn onto the sleeves. Her skirt was dark blue, thin strips of ruffled fabric sewn in three rings around it. She wore low, light brown heels and a simple silver teardrop pendant. Her dirty-blond hair was curled and worn down today, hanging just past her shoulders.

"Morning, Sue," Rayanne said, managing a weak grin. Sue's eyebrows climbed her forehead an inch or so.

"Good God, Kristine, how much sleep did you get last night?"

"About four and a half hours, I think," Rayanne responded, looking up at the ceiling as she calculated mentally.

Sue shook her head. "Jeez, girl, you'll wear yourself into the ground if you keep that up."

Rayanne grinned. "You sound like my mother." That was actually true. Sue did at times remind Rayanne a little bit of Shannon, and, sometimes, of Era, her birth mother.

Sue returned Rayanne's grin. "This project sounds like you're going through high school all over again."

Rayanne had, of course, never actually been to high school. She'd heard stories from her Guardian friends about human schools, and judging by what they said school was something they would all like to avoid.

"Don't get me wrong, public education is a good thing," Alexia had said once, "but the system in America is so goddamned stupid! Tests practically every day and passing is partially determined by attendance, not grades! In Europe you can skip half the year and it won't matter if you can do well on your tests."

Judging by the other 'horror stories' the Guardians had told, what Rayanne was going through now was actually fairly similar to a high school research paper.

"I guess you're right," Rayanne smiled. "What brings you down this way?"

"Allen told me to tell you we have someone new coming in today," Sue said. Her grin widened. "I think he was afraid you'd kill him if he came down here himself."

Rayanne's smile grew when Wolf yipped a playful assent. "The way I'm feeling right now, I don't think that's too far off the mark."

Sue laughed. "Anyway, we're all supposed to meet in the west cafeteria at lunch for introductions."

"All right. Thanks for the heads-up," Rayanne said, returning her focus to her computer screen.

"No prob. See you at lunch," Sue said, waving as she headed off down the hall. "Oh, Kristine?" she said, poking her head back in the office door. Rayanne glanced up from her work.

"Luke, Lissa and I were thinking of going out for coffee sometime next week. Do you want to come?"

Rayanne smiled. A break would be nice. "Yeah, sure."

"All right! See you later, Kristine!" Sue said, waving as she moved away, heading back to her own office. Rayanne sighed as she glanced over her notes. _Boy, am I glad I never went to high school._

xxXXxx

Aizen sighed softly, stretching his back as Gin flopped down onto a red sofa. He had to admit that, while not as luxurious as his own suite in Las Noches, the place was spacious for a hotel. There were four rooms; two bedrooms, each with queen-size beds, closets, attached bathrooms and a decent amount of floor space. Both bedroom doors opened into a living area, which was in turn connected to a small kitchen/dining room. The carpet throughout the suite was a deep, dark green. The blankets on the beds were blue, a nice color next to the carpet.

"This is a pretty nice setup, Captain Aizen," Gin said with his usual grin, propping his head up on his elbow. He was dressed in human clothing, as was Aizen; they both wore suits like those most men would wear to work, Aizen in navy blue and Gin in light gray.

"I must admit the rooms are larger than I'd expected," Aizen agreed, going over to look out the window. Their rooms were on the top floor, providing an excellent view of the surrounding buildings and streets.

"How'd ya manage to find a place this nice so close to the city?" Gin asked.

"There is no shortage of hotels here, Gin," Aizen said with a smile. "People come to the city all the time for work or vacation. Quite a few large conferences are probably held here every year."

"I thought most people came ta Colorado fer the mountains. What's to see here?" Gin mused.

"Denver is a fairly old city, Gin," Aizen responded, directing his gaze from the office building across the street from the hotel to the skyscrapers of downtown Denver. "And it is the state capital. There are a few historical sites." He turned his gaze to his former student, smile amused. "Did you read _any_ of the books I gave you?"

Gin's grin broadened a bit and he rubbed the back of his head. "I kinda skimmed through 'em a bit."

"I thought as much," Aizen mused.

"What makes ya think we'll find the book here?" Gin asked, changing the subject abruptly. "Ya'd think an ol' book from Japan'd be somewhere on the coast. Colorado's practically right in the middle of the country."

"Some research. According to a few old letters and diary entries, the man who wrote the book gave it to an English trader before Japan closed its borders to Europeans. There is an early 19th century record of a Japanese book being brought to the United States by a British merchant, who sold it to a man whose family was later part of a group of settlers moving west across the plains. They settled somewhere near here, and according to a few accounts the book was donated to a library before the settler died. That and there are parallels in some native legends and herbal mythologies with the stories of the Immortals in the book."

Gin sat up on the couch. "Denver's a big city. Where are we gonna start?"

Aizen smiled. "We're taking a trip to the museum."

**Yes, I am back. FYI, I have not given up on this fic yet. As I said before, I'm having some major league plot issues, so any reviews and recommendations you have for me would be greatly appreciated.**


	5. New World, New Faces

**Chapter 4:**

**New World, New Faces**

Rayanne fumed silently as she navigated the office section of the museum, heading toward her office. It had only been three days since they'd met, but the new hire had succeeded in ticking her off twice in the space of fifteen minutes. Abigail Tennison, as far as she could tell, had been the popular cheerleader type in school, used to things happening her way and having no clue how the real world worked. Light brown hair dyed blond, gobs of makeup, ridiculously high heels and a pencil skirt that was just barely long enough to coincide with the museum's dress code made Abigail (Abby, as she apparently liked to be called) seem like she'd popped right out of some cheesy high school drama book. It was enough to make Rayanne gag, literally. The scent of the woman's makeup carried far too well in the cafeteria when the windows were open.

Once she reached her door, Rayanne pushed it open and nearly dropped the papers she was carrying. The new receptionist was sifting through the books on her shelf with an expression of mild distaste, dropping one of the older volumes dangerously close to the edge of the desk with a loud thud.

"What are you doing here, Abby?" Rayanne asked, perhaps a bit more sharply than she'd intended. The woman whirled, looking thoroughly startled. Rayanne was surprised she didn't trip, considering the fact she was wearing two inch heels and that _ridiculous_ pencil skirt.

"Kristine! Hi!" Abby said, flashing her perfectly square white teeth in a smile. "I was looking for you."

"Why?" Rayanne asked. Abby didn't strike her as the type to strike up a friendly conversation.

"Well, a few days ago I met this guy. He works for a really big publishing company and is in Denver doing research for a book with a friend. It's set in the Midwest, and he was really happy when he found out I was working at the museum," Abby said. "I told him he could come by and I would help him find what he needed."

Rayanne inhaled deeply, pretending to suppress a yawn. Apparently Abby really liked this guy.

"And this involves me because…," Rayanne said.

"Well, he needs information on Indian legends and stories and stuff!" Abby said brightly, yet she managed to look at Rayanne as though she was completely stupid. Rayanne arched an eyebrow.

"I spoke to him this morning and he says he wants to talk to you," Abby went on.

Oh, crap, Rayanne thought. "When?"

"4:00 today."

"Today?" Rayanne exclaimed.

"Yeah. That's okay, right?" Abby demanded.

Rayanne pinched the bridge of her nose. "Abby, I have a huge project I need to finish by Thursday next week…,"

"Oh, come on!" Abby said, sounding to Rayanne similar to a whining child. "You can take an hour off, can't you? Besides, you work so much your social life could use a bit of a boost."

Holy hell, what is _wrong_ with this woman? Rayanne thought as she stared at her co-worker. Does she know she sounds like a clueless bitch right now?

"It'll only take an hour. Come on," Abby pleaded.

Rayanne sighed. "Fine," she said.

"Yes!" Abby smiled, grabbing a startled Rayanne's hand. "Thanks so much, Kristy!" You'll really like him, I know it. He's so nice and polite!" Still smiling ridiculously, she released Rayanne's hand and went to the door. "I'll see you at the front desk at 4:00!" she said with a wave before walking out.

Rayanne stared at the door for a few seconds after Abby left, eyes wide, eyebrows raised. Then she smiled.

"Kristy?" she asked no one in particular as her grin grew wider. She had to suppress a laugh as she went and sat down at her desk, turning on her computer. "If she starts calling me that I won't be able to keep my names straight."

xxXXxx

Three hours later Rayanne glanced up at her clock and sighed. Ten minutes to four. Ten minutes before she embarked on what would probably be a huge waste of time. She looked toward the door when she heard a knock. Sue stood in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear.

"Heard our new receptionist is trying to set you up with someone," she said with a wink.

Rayanne groaned as she ran a hand through her hair. "She's using _me _to get _her_ hooked up with someone."

"That's not the way she explains it," Sue said, grin widening. She's very convinced she's doing you a favor."

"I'll bet," Rayanne muttered as she stood, grabbing some books she'd borrowed from Allen off the corner of the desk. "I'm going head down now since I have to return these."

"Tell me how it turns out," Sue said with a wink. "Who knows? You may actually like the guy."

Rayanne rolled her eyes as she brushed past her friend and headed down the hallway toward the museum's main entrance. She barely kept herself from groaning when she heard Abby's voice, sounding way sweeter than it did when directed at her co-workers of the feminine gender. Great. Her mystery guy was already here. Rayanne moved to the right side of the hallway, hoping to make her way to the managerial offices unspotted. As she moved into the lobby Rayanne moved silently along the wall, looking resolutely toward her destination and hoping fervently no one would think to look in her direction.

The sound of a smooth baritone stopped her in her tracks and mad e her heart freeze in her chest. _No way. Impossible._ She felt panic slowly start to rise up and Wolf squirmed in her gut. Blinking hard, Rayanne turned her head. And then she felt as if the floor had fallen from beneath her.

Abby's 'mystery man' was none other than Sosuke Aizen.

**Author's Notes:**

**I'm BACK (again). I'm really, really, really sorry it took me so long to update, but school and my other activities have been keeping me so bogged down lately I haven't been able to do any writing for weeks. Thank you so much for your patience. Reviews are appreciated (hint hint).**


	6. Panic and Puzzles

**Chapter 5:**

**Panic and Puzzles**

Rayanne stood completely still, utterly paralyzed as she stared at the scene before her. Aizen looked as he had when he'd been a captain of the Gotei 13. His wavy brown hair was tousled around his face and he wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses. He was dressed in black, loose fitting cotton pants and a light blue collared shirt. Beside him was Gin Ichimaru, classic grin in place, wearing khakis and a casual green shirt.

Rayanne observed this before she managed to regain control of her legs. Quickly and quietly she went back into the hallway and leaned back against the wall, breathing deep and erratic. She stepped into an empty office and pressed her back against the wall again as she slid to the floor, the books she had been carrying slipping unnoticed from her hands.

_Oh, my God! Oh, my God!_ Rayanne thought, clutching her head and resting her elbows on her knees. Wolf was writhing now, which was in no way helping quell Rayanne's panic. She bit her tongue hard to keep from making a sound as a familiar pain lanced through her chest.

"No," Rayanne whispered hoarsely. "Not here."

She jolted in shock when she felt another presence brush against her mind, immediately calming the panicked Wolf.

_Shannon?_ Rayanne asked desperately.

_Yes,_ the Immortal answered, her voice having its characteristic soothing effect on Rayanne's riled nerves.

_Aizen's here_, Rayanne said immediately.

_You're not thinking of running, are you?_ Shannon asked.

Rayanne had actually been thinking along those lines.

_Don't, _Shannon said. _That would be a bit suspicious, either to Aizen or your friends. Brush up a bit and go out there. It's going to be nerve-racking, but it's probably your best option._

_**Talk**__ to him?! _Rayanne thought back. _You're insane! You know how he is! He'll know it's me the second he lays eyes on me!_

_No, he won't,_ Shannon said patiently. _He thinks you're dead. Remember what I taught you when I started teaching you about assassination?_

Rayanne swallowed thickly. _If people don't expect to see something, they won't see it, _she answered.

_Exactly,_ Shannon said. _Brush up, walk out there and act normal. You'll be fine. Just don't forget to keep your spiritual pressure distorted or shielded._

Rayanne nodded, even though she knew full well her mentor couldn't see it. Or maybe she could. It was impossible to tell with her.

Giving herself a mental shake, Rayanne reached back and bound her hair in a simple braid. It was longer than it had been in the Soul Society, so hopefully it would help make her harder to recognize. That done, Rayanne stood and quickly made her way back to her office, grabbing a set of fake reading glasses from one of her desk drawers. Using a quick spell to change her eye color from green to brown, Rayanne walked out of her office, stopping briefly to pick up her books again. She paused before entering the lobby again, taking a deep breath.

_Focus,_ she thought. _You can do this._

After one more calming breath, Rayanne stepped into the lobby a bit more audibly than last time, pretending to be reading over a paper she'd taken out of one of the books._ I cannot look nervous._

"Kristine!" Rayanne almost flinched at the pitch of Abby's voice. She looked up sharply, peering over at the front desk. She was met with the sight of Abby waving and smiling while Gin and Aizen turned slightly to look at the newcomer. It took all of Rayanne's self-control not to flinch when she felt that piercing brown gaze settle on her.

_If people don't expect to see something, they won't see it._

Rayanne ran her mentor's words over in her head as she forced herself to walk forward and appear completely collected.

"Kristine Janssen, I presume?" Aizen said as she came to stand next to them.

"Yes," Rayanne said, surprised that she'd managed to keep her voice even. "And you are…?"

"Sosuke Aizen," Aizen said, smiling and extending a hand. Rayanne took it, again surprised that this wasn't driving Wolf insane.

"And this is my associate Gin Ichimaru," Aizen said, releasing her hand and gesturing behind him.

"Pleased to meet ya!" Gin said, accompanying his usual grin with a small wave.

"Hello," Rayanne smiled. Some things never changed, and Gin's energy was apparently one of them.

"Abby tells me you need help researching for a book?" Rayanne asked.

"Yes. A friend told me you were the person to go to for information on native legends," Aizen responded, glancing in Abby's direction meaningfully. Rayanne barely held back a laugh when Abby blushed. _Some things really don't change._

"Well, if you'd like, we can go back to my office and see if I can help you," Rayanne said.

"That would be excellent," Aizen said with another smile. _Oh, brother._

"Have fun!" Abby said as Rayanne turned and began to lead the group back to her office. "Ring me if you need anything!"

Rayanne rolled her eyes as they walked down the hall.

"How long have you worked here?" Aizen asked.

"Five years," Rayanne answered as she opened her office door. "Why?"

"Just curious," Aizen answered. Rayanne felt her heart skip a beat. _Keep it together, keep it together._

"Ooh, this is nice," Gin said, last to enter.

"Did you choose the wall color?" Aizen asked, scanning the room.

"No," Rayanne answered, sitting at her desk. Gin chuckled.

"I think you're annoyin' her, Aizen-san."

Aizen laughed as well. "I apologize if we came at an inconvenient time, Miss Janssen," he said, smiling cordially at Rayanne as he sat at the chair in front of her desk. Rayanne recognized the smile as one he'd used when he was trying to break the ice with an uneasy subordinate to make it easier to get information out of them.

Rayanne returned the smile. "Just Kristine, please," she said, logging in to her computer. "Was there anything specific you were looking for?" _Now I can do some digging of my own._

"We were looking for legends of local tribes, particularly creation stories," Aizen said.

Rayanne nodded, scrolling through her database. "Let's see… there's the Thunderbird, Hichaha Nihanacan, the Little People, Hiincebiit. If you're looking for creation stories, I'd recommend looking at Hichaha Nihanacan."

"The 'Spider Above', isn't it?" Aizen said with a smile.

Rayanne nodded, concealing her surprise at the fact that Aizen apparently knew something about old Plains mythology.

"I think we'll start there," Aizen said. "But we're unfortunately a bit low on time. If you have any information…"

"I can give you a list of books and websites you might find useful," Rayanne said. She tore a piece of paper from her notepad. Remembering that Aizen would probably recognize her handwriting, Rayanne wrote in print instead of cursive as she listed several titles and websites that would provide some details, but were probably vague enough that Aizen wouldn't be able to figure out too much about the origins of the myths, or really many details about the myths themselves. She handed her list to Aizen as they both stood.

"Thank you for your help," Aizen said with a smile as Rayanne walked with him and Gin toward the door. "And I apologize again if we inconvenienced you."

"It was no trouble," Rayanne said, matching his smile. _Now please get the hell out of my office._ _On second thought…_

"May I ask what the book is going to be about?" she asked.

Aizen laughed. "We'll see. I'm still in the planning stages," he said. Rayanne took a breath. _Not lying. He isn't exactly sure what he's looking for._

"Well, good luck, I suppose," Rayanne said as the two shinigami stepped into the hall.

"I think we're gonna need it," Gin said, grin broadening while Aizen gave him a look.

"Good afternoon, Miss Janssen," Aizen said, taking the lead as he and Gin started down the corridor. To Rayanne's surprise, the silver-haired man turned and waved over his shoulder. Rayanne grinned back at him before shutting the door. Almost immediately her grin vanished and she leaned back against the door, sinking slowly to the floor. She put a hand on her chest. Her heart was beating a mile a minute.

_Disaster averted. But…_

_What the HELL could they need those stories for?_

_I might be able to clarify._

Rayanne jumped a bit as Shannon's voice echoed in her mind.

_It's almost five o'clock. I'm calling a meeting at your house at seven._

_Why?_

_Alden, Aya, your brother and pretty much every shapeshifter within a five mile radius sensed Aizen and Gin. Everybody's kind of freaked out._

Rayanne swallowed thickly. _All right. I'll see you then._

Hopefully Shannon would be able to clear this whole mess up… and help them avoid any further unexpected encounters.


	7. IMPORTANT NOTICE

**AUTHOR'S NOTICE (IN BIG AND IMPORTANT BOLD LETTERS)!**

I have been going over this story and the previous ones in this series and have decided this entire storyline needs a MAJOR rewrite. I will be going on a (hopefully) brief hiatus until the end of the school year, and then hopefully I'll be able to post the first chapter of the rewritten series posted. What I need from you guys are some votes on:

Should I delete the old stories from the site, or should I leave them up?

Should I rename the rewritten stories?

Thank you so much for sticking with me. Please leave me your opinions and any requests you have for the rewrite. Your input is greatly appreciated (trust me… I've gotten writer's block often enough!)

Stay classy

~drakangrl9~


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